George Burns - Biography - IMDb George Burns Biography Showing all 99 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trade Mark (4) | Trivia (34) | Personal Quotes (52) | Salary (1) Overview (5) 5' 7" (1.7 m) Mini Bio (1) George Burns was born on January 20, 1896 in New York City, New York, USA as Nathan Birnbaum. He was an actor and producer, known for The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950), Oh, God! (1977) and The Sunshine Boys (1975). He was married to Gracie Allen and Hannah Siegal. He died on March 9, 1996 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA. Spouse (2) ( 7 January 1926 - 27 August 1964) (her death) (2 children) Hannah Siegal Trade Mark (4) His ever present cigar Played the straight man to his wife, Gracie Allen.

After her death and his retirement period, he created a new image as an remarkably active amiable old comedian. Wearing glasses in his later years. Deep, scratchy voice. Trivia (34) As a child, he attended P.S. 22 and left after the fourth grade due to economic reasons. Interred along with his wife Gracie Allen at Forest Lawn (Glendale), Glendale, California, USA, in the Freedom Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Heritage. Uncle of Lou Weiss, chairman emeritus of William Morris Agency, who got his mailroom start in agency business with help of 'Uncle Nate'. Was a regular on the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts". He was even a guest of honor in 1978. "The Burns & Allen Show" (on CBS and NBC from 1934 to 1950) was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1994. At the time of his Oscar win, he was the oldest recipient of an Academy Award. He was 80 when he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Sunshine Boys (1975).

This record was surpassed by Jessica Tandy in 1990 and later by Christopher Plummer in 2012 who received his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at age 82. Best friends with fellow comedian Jack Benny , who also served as best man at his and Gracie Allen 's wedding. Burns loved playing jokes on Benny, almost as much as watching him laugh (and pound the floor) afterward. Actually wore a hairpiece for most of his performing career; appears briefly without it in The Sunshine Boys (1975) and in _Two of a Kind (1982)_. He and Gracie Allen continued to play single, even years after they were married; declining ratings prompted George to "update" the act on-air. He said later, "We were the only couple on radio who got married because we had to". Took the name "Burns" from the Burns Brothers Coal Company, whose trucks he'd stolen lumps from growing up, to help heat the family home. "George" was a sobriquet his brother occasionally used. Until his death, he smoked as many as ten cigars a day. Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith.

Pg. 78-80. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387 His first marriage was in name only. In the early 1920s, he was doing a ballroom dancing act with Hannah Siegal, and they were offered a 36-week contract to go out on the road. When her father objected to her traveling with a young man outside the bonds of matrimony, George and Hannah got married so as not to turn down the offer. When they returned from their three-month engagement, they divorced. In the beginning of their partnership, Gracie Allen played the straight character and Burns had the funny lines. When he realized Gracie got more laughs, he switched their roles. Daughter Sandra Burns adopted 1934, son Ronnie Burns adopted 1935. Discovered Ann-Margret and made her his opening act in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was in very fragile health and could not attend his 100th birthday celebration in person. Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 82-84. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Was originally supposed to deliver the eulogy at the funeral of his best friend, Jack Benny , but he was so overcome with emotion after trying that he let someone else do it. In the movie 18 Again! (1988) Burns' character celebrates his 81st birthday, although Burns himself was already 92 years old. In the early 1940s, during the height of their popularity, Burns had a brief extramarital affair. He apologized to Gracie Allen by giving her a new coffee table, and nothing more was said about it. However, years later, when Gracie was serving coffee to a friend in their living room, George overheard her say, "You know, I wish George would have another affair. I really need a new coffee table". Was very good friends with Harpo Marx . Interviewed around the time of the death of wife Gracie Allen in the summer of 1964, he described her as being his "next breath". The whales in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) were named George and Gracie after Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen .

Although Gracie Allen was in love with another man when they first met, he carried a ring in his pocket until she finally agreed to marry him. According to Phyllis Diller 's autobiography "Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse", in the late 1960s Broadway producer David Merrick approached Burns with the idea of him playing Horace Vandergelder in "Hello, Dolly!" with his good friend Jack Benny in drag as Dolly Levi. The intention was to turn Broadway on its ear and revive flagging interest in the show, which had been running since 1964, originally with Carol Channing as Dolly Levi. This idea never came to fruition (Diller did appear in the show for three months in 1970). He was awarded 3 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre at 6672 Hollywood Boulevard; for Motion Pictures at 1639 Vine Street; and for Television at 6510 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Pictured with wife Gracie Allen on a 44¢ USA commemorative postage stamp, issued 11 August 2009, in the Early TV Memories issue honoring The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950). Brother of William Burns . At age 13, he charged immigrants coming by boat from Ellis Island $5 for dance lessons, telling his clients that this was a necessary prerequisite for becoming a U.S. citizen. Was a struggling vaudevillian in his early youth, often appearing as a trick roller skater and in ballroom dance acts. Some of his acts were pretty bad and work was hard to come by, so he was forced to frequently change his stage name, appearing variously as Willy Delight, Captain Betts and Buddy Links. Interviewed in "The Great Comedians Talk About Comedy" by Larry Wilde . [1968] His father was an Austrian Jewish immigrant and his mother was a Polish Jewish immigrant. Along with Bob Hope and Señor Wences , he is one of three The Muppet Show (1976) guest stars to live to be 100 years old. Personal Quotes (52) Smartness runs in my family.

When I went to school I was so smart my teacher was in my class for five years. I've been a straight man for so many years that from force of habit I repeat everything. I went out fishing with a fellow the other day and he fell overboard. He yelled, "Help! Help! Help!" so I said, "Help? Help? Help?" And while I was waiting for him to get his laugh, he drowned. Fall in love with what you do for a living. I don't care what it is. It works. Retire? I'm going to stay in show business until I'm the only one left. [on appearance] Take care not to wear stripes that are out of sync with your wrinkles. I did go to school - my kind of school. When I was a kid I went out . . . and you meet people. You talk to them. Anybody says something that makes sense, it stays with you, rubs off on you. That kind of school. You know, lots of times people have asked me what [ Gracie Allen ] and I did to make our marriage work. It's simple - we didn't do anything.

I think the trouble with a lot of people is that they work too hard at staying married. They make a business out of it. When you work too hard at a business you get tired, and when you get tired you get grouchy, you start fighting, and when you start fighting you're out of business. Well, anybody can be a straight man if he hears well. You just have to wait for laughs. A straight man just repeats the questions and the comedian gets the laughs and you just wait for them and don't let them die completely at the tail end of the laugh. [on his age] I get a standing ovation just standing. Nice to be here? At my age it's nice to be anywhere. In what other business can a guy my age drink martinis, smoke cigars and sing? I think all people who retire ought to go into show business. I've been retired all my life. [on gravity] Everything that goes up must come down. But there comes a time when not everything that's down can come up. I would go out with women my age, but there are no women my age. Bridge is a game that separates the men from the boys. It also separates husbands and wives.

A young mind in a healthy body is a wonderful thing. Especially for an old man with an open night. If you stay in the business long enough and get to be old enough, you get to be new again. I use the cigar for timing purposes. If I tell a joke, I smoke as long as they laugh and when they stop laughing I take the cigar out of my mouth and start my next joke. I don't believe in dying . . . it's been done. There are many ways to die in bed, but the best way is not alone. I can't afford to die; I'd lose too much money. [commenting on winning the Oscar at age 80] It couldn't have happened to an older guy. [at 87 years old] I was brought up to respect my elders and now I don't have to respect ANYBODY. [on adultery] If you were married to Marilyn Monroe , you'd cheat with some ugly girl. Happiness is: A good martini, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman . . . or a bad woman, depending on how much happiness you can stand.

[interviewed in his old age about sex scenes] What actresses do today when they appear on the screen is what they did once upon a time for getting to appear on the screen. I'd rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate. At my age, the only thing hot waiting for me in my dressing room is a bowl of soup. [discussing his role in Going in Style (1979)] I had to learn how to act old." [when asked how he got the title role in Oh, God! (1977)] I was the closest to Him in age. The most important thing to succeed in show business is sincerity. And if you can fake that, you've got it made. If you live to the age of a hundred, you have it made, because very few people die past the age of a hundred. [during Dean Martin 's roast for Frank Sinatra ] We singers aren't worried about getting laughs . . . see, nobody's laughing, and I'm not worried. Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city. [on Carol Channing ] She never just enters a room.

Even when she comes out of the bathroom, her husband applauds. [on Al Jolson ] It was easy enough to make Jolson happy at home. You just had to cheer him for breakfast, applaud wildly for lunch, and give him a standing ovation for dinner. [on how his act with Gracie Allen got started in vaudeville] Gracie was supposed to be the straight woman. The first night we had 40 people out front and they didn't laugh at one of my jokes, but every time Gracie asked me a question they fell out of their seats. So I made her the comic and the act was a hit from that moment on. That was the beginning of Burns and Allen. [about his relationship with wife Gracie Allen ] The only thing I ever felt guilty about was a telegram we got in vaudeville. It was from [ Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. ] and he was out front and that was one of the nights I blew smoke in Gracie's face and he hated my guts. So he sends a cable saying, "I'll pay $200 for the dame, $100 for the act". I never read it to her.

I told her it was from some of the boys at the Friars Club. Before she died I said, "Gracie, I got a confession to make. Remember that cable we got that time in vaudeville?" and she said, "You mean the one from Ziegfeld?" [on W.C. Fields ] When he was 22 he played England with his young wife, who was 20. His trick was juggling cigar boxes. The star of the show was an old geezer who had a funny voice. The wife fell in love with the old man. Fields stole his accent and delivery, and the old guy stole Fields' wife. I think Fields got the best of the deal. [sitting in an empty movie theater] The first movie I ever saw was the first movie I was ever in. I was sitting alone in the theater then like I am now. [asked what he thought of Mary Pickford ] I never slept with her. [as he was about to sing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" during the 1983 All-Star Game at Comiskey Park in Chicago] I not only sang this song at the first All-Star Game, I also sang it at the first ballgame.

"I never wanted to play Shakespeare", [ Gracie Allen ] a statement she had proved by becoming my partner. Instead we played Cleveland. It's one of the old show business axioms. No matter how successful you've been, there's always a younger and sexier seal coming along. [on his wedding] The justice of the peace spoke so fast I didn't know if Gracie and I had gotten married or had bought land in Florida. [on meeting Gracie Allen ] I remember looking down at her, looking right into her green eye and her blue eye, and thinking what a pretty little girl she is. I was hoping she'd work with me. [on vaudeville] When we played the back end of a horse we always knew that if we worked hard and did a good job we could become the front end. Yale men do not like to be told anything by people who didn't go to Yale. The closest I came to Yale was once I had one of their padlocks. At home we ate fish every Friday, as Catholics were then supposed to do. Being Jewish, I compromised. I wore a hat when I ate fish, out of respect for my own religion and the fish's family.

I'd announce that I was going to sing, and all our guests would make a ring around the piano. But somehow I managed to fight my way through the ring and sing anyway. [on his act with Gracie Allen]: The only rule we followed was that we would only use jokes that were funny. If people wanted jokes that weren't funny they could listen to our competitors. You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there. Acting is all about honesty. If you can fake that, you've got it made. Salary (1) George Burns - IMDb IMDb Actor | Producer | Soundtrack George Burns was born on January 20, 1896 in New York City, New York, USA as Nathan Birnbaum. He was an actor and producer, known for The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950), Oh, God! (1977) and The Sunshine Boys (1975). He was married to Gracie Allen and Hannah Siegal. He died on March 9, 1996 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.

See full bio » Born: 'Bright Lights': 6 Emotional Moments From Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds' Documentary 7 January 2017 5:15 PM, -08:00 | Entertainment Tonight a list of 21 people created 12 Nov 2011 a list of 29 people created 25 Apr 2014 a list of 38 people created 10 May 2014 a list of 26 images created 11 months ago a list of 33 people created 9 months ago Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of George Burns's work have you seen? User Polls Won 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 4 nominations. See more awards » Known For 1966 McNab's Lab (TV Movie) (producer) 1966 Summer Fun (TV Series) (producer - 1 episode) - The Permanent Recruit (1964) ...

(executive producer) 1960 Maggie (TV Movie) (executive producer) 1958 Mister Ed (TV Series) (producer - 1 episode) 2003 Mwah!

The Best of the Dinah Shore Show (TV Movie documentary) (performer: "I Ain't Got Nobody") 1987 Young at Heart (Documentary short) (performer: "Young at Heart") 1983 George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business (TV Movie) (performer: "Lovey Joe") 1983 Parade of Stars (TV Movie) (performer: "Young at Heart") 1981 George Burns' Early, Early, Early Christmas Special (TV Special) (performer: "White Christmas" (uncredited), "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (uncredited), "Winter Wonderland" (uncredited), "Just Send Me One" (uncredited), "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You", "Tea for Two/I Ain't Got Nobody" (uncredited), "It All Depends on You" (uncredited), "You Made Me Love You" (uncredited), "Using Things and Loving People" (uncredited)) 1978 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (performer: "Fixing A Hole", "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite", "Sgt.

Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (Finale)) 1977 The George Burns One-Man Show (TV Special) (performer: "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl, (And Leave the Rest to Me)", "All That I Want is You", "I'll Buy the Ring (And Change Your Name to Mine)", "Do You Believe Me?", "I Ain't Got Nobody", "Good Old Bad Old Days") 1977 The Muppet Show (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - George Burns (1977) ... (performer: "I Guess I'll Take the Train Back Home", "It All Depends on You", "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" - uncredited) 1977 The Captain and Tennille (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #1.18 (1977) ...

(performer: "When You're Smiling", "Ain't Misbehavin'", "Where Did You Get That Girl?" - uncredited) 1976 The George Burns Special (TV Special) (performer: "I'll Buy the Ring (And Change Your Name to Mine)" (uncredited), "Not Your'n", "Goodnight, Little Girl, Goodnight", "April Showers", "Grizzly Bear", "Don't Take Me Home", "The Only Way to Go") 1967 The Danny Kaye Show (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #4.24 (1967) ... (performer: "Red Rose Rag", "My Gal's a Hightoned Lady", "High Society", "Yankee Doodle Blues", "Ain't Misbehavin'") 1965 The Hollywood Palace (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #2.16 (1965) ...

(performer: "The Dance", "My Kid Brother", "Pack Up Your Sins and Go to the Devil", "At the Ball, That's All", "(We're Gonna Be In) High Society" - uncredited) 1961 The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - The Dinah Shore Show (1961) ... (performer: "Where Did You Get That Girl, Mister", "Some of These Days", "The Story of Alice", "Ain't We Got Fun" - uncredited) 1960 The George Burns Show (TV Special) (performer: "Doin' the Grizzly Bear", "The Red Rose Rag" - uncredited) 1959 Startime (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - George Burns in the Big Time (1959) ...

(performer: "Don't Take Me Home", "She Can Carry a Gun Good As Any Mother's Son", "I Ain't Got Nobody", "The Red Rose Rag", "Where Did You Get That Girl?", "I'll Buy the Ring (And Change Your Name to Mine)", "Pals" - uncredited) 1951-1957 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (TV Series) (performer - 15 episodes) - The Publicity Romance (1957) ... (performer: "In the Heart of a Cherry") Nathan Birnbaum (1896 - 1996) - Genealogy Nathan Birnbaum New York City, New York, New York, USA Death: in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA Place of Burial: Glendale, Los Angeles, California, USA Immediate Family: Jan 20 1896 - New York City, New York, USA Death: Mar 9 1996 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles Co., California, USA Wife: Newspaper Archive Text: ...

died day at BURNS seven weeks after his 100th birthday Born Nathan Birnbaum on Jan Burns was one of 12 children ... March 11 1996 RECORD... Date: Newspaper Archive Text: ... was left at the house by a Jewish group to honor the man born Nathan Birnbaum on on New ... mourn The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Fans ... Date: Newspaper Archive Text: "...group honored the man born Nathan Birnbaum Jan 20 1896 on New York's impoverished Lower East Side In Las Vegas where Bums often perfo... Date: Feb 1896 - New York, United States Residence: 1900 - New York City, New York, New York, USA Parents: Lippe Birnbam, Dorah Birnbam Siblings: ...nnie Birnbam, Isidor Birnbam, Esther Birnbam, Sarah Birnbam, Sophie Birnbam, Mamie Birnbam, Goldie Birnbam, Theressa Birnbam, Samuel Birnbam Newspaper Archive Text: ... his cigar, and we knew all was right in the wacky world of George Burns.

The crafty comedian, born Nathan Birnbaum on Jan. 20 ... , 1896... Date: brother About George Burns His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became familiar trademarks for over three quarters of a century. In his ninety years in show business, George Burns had time for three careers. His first two decades were spent as a small-time vaudeville performer. Later, as part of a comedy duo with his wife, Gracie Allen, he achieved wide popularity on the stage, radio, television, and in films. Finally, after Allen's death, Burns performed as a stand-up comedian and comic actor, winning an Academy Award at the age of 80. His career was resurrected as an amiable, beloved and unusually active old comedian, continuing to work until shortly before his death, in 1996, at the age of 100. He was born Nathan Birnbaum on January 20, 1896 in New York City, New York, the ninth of twelve children born to Louis and Dorothy (née Bluth) Birnbaum in New York City. His father was a substitute cantor at the local synagogue but did not work very often.

During the influenza epidemic of 1903, Louis contracted the flu and died. After his father's death, Burns began a career in show business at the age of seven. To help support the family, he formed the Pee Wee quartet, a group of child performers who sang and told jokes on street corners. He and his brothers also helped out by stealing coal from a nearby coal yard - earning the nickname the Burns Brothers. He would later settle on this as a stage name, changing his first name to George after an idolized older brother. Burns's early performing years were spent doing whatever he could to earn money. In 1916, under the name Willy Delight, he performed as a trick roller-skater on the Keith Vaudeville Circuit. Later, as Pedro Lopez, he taught ballroom dancing. Over the years, he tried several other names - Billy Pierce, Captain Betts, Jed Jackson, Jimmy Malone, Buddy Lanks - appearing in a wide range of vaudeville acts with many different partners. "When I first started in vaudeville I was strictly small-time," he reminisced in his book, How to Live to be 100 - or More.

"I'd be lying if I said I was the worst act in the world; I wasn't that good." By 1923, he was appearing at the Union Theatre as George Burns, comedian, when he met his future partner, Gracie Allen. Allen, ten years younger than Burns, came from a San Francisco show business family, and had also been performing since she was a child. However, by the early 1920s, she had given up her fledgling career in entertainment to train as a stenographer. Allen was accompanying a friend on a backstage visit at the theater when she was introduced to Burns. In tune with her scatterbrained image, she confused him with someone else, and called him by the wrong name for several days. Burns and Allen made their performing debut in 1924. In his previous act, Burns was both the writer and the comedian, while his partner played the straight man. Burns initially stuck to this format in his act with Allen, but quickly learned that she was the funny one. "Even her straight lines got laughs," Burns was quoted as saying in The Guardian. "She had a very funny delivery ….

they laughed at her straight lines and didn't laugh at my jokes." Soon Burns and Allen developed the act that would make them famous: he played the bemused, cigar-smoking boyfriend and comic foil to her dizzy, muddled girlfriend. In a distracted, little-girl voice, Allen told rambling stories about her family, while Burns asked questions. "I just asked Gracie a question, and she kept talking for the next 37 years," he later recalled (quoted in The Daily Telegraph). After performing together in vaudeville for three years, Burns and Allen were married in Cleveland on January 7, 1926. Theirs was a famously happy marriage. "I'm the brains and Gracie is everything else, especially to me," Burns once said (quoted in The Daily Mail). Later, they adopted two children, Sandra Jean and Ronald John. Around the time of their marriage they were signed to a six-year contract with Keith theaters, which took them on tours of the United States and Europe. In 1930 Burns and Allen joined Eddie Cantor, George Jessel, and others in a headline bill marking the end of vaudeville at the Palace Theatre in New York.

After this appearance, as well as appearances on the Rudy Vallee and Guy Lombardo shows, CBS signed the team for their own radio program. The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show debuted on February 15, 1932. The team became famous for one exchange that ended that show, and every show. After a program filled with one non sequitur after another, Burns would say, long sufferingly, "Say goodnight, Gracie" and Allen would respond brightly, "Goodnight, Gracie." During nineteen years in radio, Burns and Allen attracted an audience estimated at more than 45 million listeners. In 1940 their salary was reported to be $9,000 a week. Always modest about his role in the series, Burns claimed that Allen was solely responsible for their enduring success. "With Gracie, I had the easiest job of any straight man in history," he said (quoted in The Guardian). "I only had to know two lines - 'How's your brother?' and 'Your brother did what?"' Meanwhile, in 1931 they signed a contract with Paramount Studios to star in short films and, when not making pictures, to play on the stage of the Publix theaters.

Their first full-length movie was The Big Broadcast of 1932. In addition to many short films, the team made an average of two films a year for Paramount. Their last film for Paramount was Honolulu (1939), which starred Eleanor Powell and Robert Young. To attract attention for their radio show, Burns masterminded several publicity stunts. In 1933, Allen appeared on radio shows throughout the country, searching for her imaginary lost brother. The joke was so convincing that her real brother, an accountant in San Francisco, had to go into hiding until public interest in him had waned. During the 1940 election, Allen declared herself a nominee for the "Surprise Party," and campaigned on various radio shows, even holding a three-day convention in Omaha. She received several thousand write-in votes. In October 1950, The Burns and Allen Show made the transition to television. The program used the same format as the successful radio program. The following exchange was typical of their humor: "Did the maid ever drop you on your head when you were a baby?" "Don't be silly, George. We couldn't afford a maid. My mother had to do it" (quoted in The Independent).

In 1958, angina forced Allen to retire - an event that merited the cover of Life magazine. At the time, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show was then television's longest-running sitcom. Burns continued to perform in The George Burns Show, but the series only lasted one season. "The show had everything it needed to be successful, except Gracie," Burns recalled (quoted in The Independent). Six years later, Allen died of cancer at the age of 59. Burns was devastated, and made almost daily visits to her grave. "The good things for me started with Gracie and for the next 38 years they only got better," he was quoted as saying in The Guardian. "But everything has a price. It still doesn't seem right that she went so young, and that I've been given so many years to spend without her." After Allen's death, Burns devoted his time to McCadden, his television production company, which made such popular programs as The People's Choice (1955-58) and Mr. Ed (1961-66). Burns also appeared as a guest in various television specials throughout the sixties.

However, his attempts to develop a new double act failed; he was unacceptable to the public with new partners like Carol Channing or Connie Stevens. It was not until 1975 that Burns was given the opportunity to re-launch his performing career. After the death of Jack Benny, a contemporary and close friend from the vaudeville days, Burns took Benny's role opposite Walter Matthau in Neil Simon's film, The Sunshine Boys. The role of the ancient straight man, coming out of retirement for one last get-together with his shambling former partner, could not have been more perfect for Burns. At age 80, he won an Academy Award for best supporting actor - the oldest person to do so. "My last film was in 1939," he said at the time (quoted in The Daily Telegraph). "My agent didn't want me to suffer from over-exposure." He followed his success with Oh God!, in which he played the deity wearing baggy pants, sneakers, and a golf cap. Two sequels followed, Oh God! II (1980) and Oh God! You Devil (1984), as well as several other comedies.

None of these films was very successful, but Burns was undisturbed. "I just like to be working," he was quoted as saying in The Daily Telegraph. Throughout the 1980s, Burns appeared often on television, hosting 100 Years of America's Popular Music (1981), George Burns and Other Sex Symbols (1982) and George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business (1983). By this time, his comic material, mostly one-liners, centered almost exclusively on his age and longevity. Burns also published various books, including Dr. Burns' Prescription for Happiness (1985) and a tribute to his wife, Gracie, A Love Story (1988), in which he revealed that Allen was actually his second wife. During his vaudeville days, Burns had formed a dancing act with Hannah Siegel, whom he had rechristened Hermosa Jose, after his favorite cigar. When their act was booked for a 26-week tour, her parents refused to let her travel the country with Burns unless he married her. The marriage lasted as long as the tour, and then was dissolved.

Although Burns never remarried, during his 80s and 90s he developed an enthusiasm for taking out young women - which became another endless source for comic material. At 97, Burns was still writing, making stage appearances, and numbering Sharon Stone among his escorts. Burns had planned shows to celebrate his 100th birthday at the London Palladium for January 20, 1996. However, after a bad fall in 1994, his health declined, and the performances were canceled. A few days before his 100th birthday, he was suffering from the flu, and was unable to attend a party in his honor. Burns died at his home in Los Angeles on March 9, 1996. He has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the motion picture and television industry and live performance located at 1639 Vine Street, 6510 Hollywood Blvd. and 6672 Hollywood Blvd. respectively.

Actors | FamousDEAD Bruce Adler : Born: 1944-11-27 - Died: 2008-07-25 Tony award winning Broadway actor, who was in Oklahoma!, Those Were the Days, and Crazy for you. Adler is probably best known for being the singing voice for the narrator in the animated Disney movie Aladdin. Don Knotts : Born: 1924-07-21 - Died: 2006-02-24 Don Knotts is best known for being Barney Fife on the 1960\’s television show The Andy Griffith Show. Knotts won 5 Emmy’s for his portrayal of Fife. He also played Ralph Furley on Three’s Company. Jim Varney : Born: 1949-06-15 - Died: 2000-02-10 Varney graduated from Lafayette Senior High School in Lexington Kentucky. He credited one of his teachers there for him becoming an actor. Most people know Varney simply as “Ernest”, for the character/persona he created Ernest P. Worrell.

Between 1987 and 1990, Disney released four Ernest centric movies that generated over $99 million. Five more films […] Mel Ferrer : Born: 1917-08-25 - Died: 2008-06-02 Melchor Gaston Ferrer was an American actor, director and producer (view his filmography). He was once married to classic movie icon Audrey Hepburn and even produced the suspense masterpiece she starred in – Wait Until Dark. The two of them had a son together before divorcing – Sean H. Ferrer. Mel was best known however, […] Harvey Korman : Born: 1927-02-15 - Died: 2008-05-29 Korman was a well-known comedic actor with numerous roles for both the big and small screens. His big break came when he was offered to become a featured performer on “The Danny Kaye Show”. The popularity he gained on that show propelled him to the hit show “The Carol Burnett Show”.

Korman’s award winning stint […] Estelle Getty : Born: 1923-07-25 - Died: 2008-07-22 Estelle Getty, better known as Sophia Petrillo, was the wise cracking mother of Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls. Getty played a woman in her 80’s… but in actuality she was younger than the actress who played her daughter. Golden girls ran from 1985 – 1992 on NBC, winning numerous awards. Getty herself won both […] George Burns : Born: 1896-01-20 - Died: 1996-03-09 George Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum. His greatest accomplishment is perhaps living for entire century, but he is most famous for his comedy. He worked the stage, radio, TV, and film, and was married to star Gracie Allen until she passed away in 1964.

Aside from all of the shows that Burns was a part […] Brad Renfro : Born: 1982-07-25 - Died: 2008-01-14 Brad Renfro was a young actor who had appeared in mostly independent films. Perhaps most famously, he was the kid in the film version of John Grisham’s The Client, and later went on to appear in such films as Apt Pupil (based on the Stephen King novella), Bully, Ghost World, and Deuces Wild. His last […] Dody Goodman : Born: 1914-10-28 - Died: 2008-06-22 Goodman was a comedian/actress best known for her role as the mother on the television show Mary Hart, Mary Hart. She also appeared on a number of other television shows such as Different Strokes and St. Elsewhere as well as on Jack Paar’s late-night talk show.

She also appeared in a number of movies, notably […] Phil Hartman : Born: 1948-09-24 - Died: 1998-05-20 Phil Hartman (born Philip Edward Hartmann) was a Canadian-American comedic actor who was best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, NewsRadio and The Simpsons. Emigrating from Canada as a child, Hartman attended California State University, Northridge, earning a degree in graphic arts. Originally starting out as a professional graphic artist, designing albums covers […] Richard Pryor : Born: 1940-12-01 - Died: 2005-12-10 Born Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III, Richard Pryor was a comedian well known for his outspoken and often vulgar routines. He also appeared in a lot of movies, often teaming up with actor Gene Wilder. He once set himself on fire while freebasing cocaine, suffering burns on about half of his entire body.

He […] Vic Morrow : Born: 1929-02-14 - Died: 1982-07-23 Victor “Vic” Morrow was an American actor who had appeared mostly in televsion shows such as Charlie’s Angels, Mission Impossible, and Magnum P.I. just to name a few. He had two children, one of which is actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. Sam Kinison : Born: 1953-12-08 - Died: 1992-04-10 Samuel “Sam” Burl Kinison was a pentecostal preacher turned vulgar stand-up comedian, who was known for his screaming antics and controversial material that bashed Christianity. He had a reputation for drug abuse and hanging out with L.A. rock bands. He is said to have been an influence on the appearance of Kevin Smith’s Silent Bob […] Sharon Tate : Born: 1943-01-24 - Died: 1969-08-09 Sharon Marie Tate was an American actress who married film director Roman Polanski. She appeared in Valley of the Dolls, in several other films and television programs.

She was killed early in her career, and likely would’ve had a lengthy filmography had she not been brutally slain in one of America’s most heartless and widely-publicized […] Chris Farley : Born: 1964-02-15 - Died: 1997-12-18 Christopher Crosby “Chris” Farley was a comedian/actor who got his fame from being on Saturday Night Live. He also appeared in a variety of comedy films like Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Airheads, Wayne’s World, Billy Madison, and the ill-received Beverly Hills Ninja. His sketches on SNL are really what he is best known for having […] Evelyn Keyes : Born: 1916-11-20 - Died: 2008-07-04 Evelyn Keyes was an American actress best known as “Scarlett O’Hara’s Younger Sister” (the title of an autobiographical book she would later write) in the American film classic Gone with the Wind.

She also appeared in many other films throughout the 40s and 50s such as The Desperadoes, Strange Affair, The Prowler, Around the World […] Cyd Charisse : Born: 1922-03-08 - Died: 2008-06-17 Originally from Texas, Cyd Charisse had quite a career in Hollywood as both a dancer and an actress with a filmography dating back to 1943. She had shared the screen with Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, and many others, appearing in films such as Silk Stockings, Singin’ in the Rain, The Band Wagon, and Something to […] Don Davis : Born: 1942-08-04 - Died: 2008-06-29 Don Sinclair Davis was an American actor born in Missouri though he died at his home in Canada. He was so American in fact that he had once served as a captain in the U.S. Army. Davis is best known for his character General George S. Hammond on the hit television show Stargate SG-1.

In […] Mary Kay Bergman : Born: 1961-06-05 - Died: 1999-11-11 Bergman was a voice actress best known for her work on the hit animated show South Park. On South Park, she did voices for the mothers of all four main boys as well as Wendy Testerberger. She also did voice work for over 400 commercials including for Mrs. Butterworth, and several Disney movies like Beauty […] Marilyn Monroe : Born: 1926-06-01 - Died: 1962-08-05 One of the most famous movie stars and sex symbols of the 20th century. Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin : Born: 1889-04-16 - Died: 1977-12-25 Most well known silent film era star. Charlton Heston : Born: 1924-10-04 - Died: 2008-04-05 Academy Award-winning American actor.

Famous for his heroic roles in epic movies, like “The Ten Commandments” (1956) and “Ben-Hur” (1959). George Harrison : Born: 1943-02-25 - Died: 2001-11-29 Musician, best known for being the lead guitarist of The Beatles. The other members of the band were John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. William Powell : Born: 1892-07-29 - Died: 1984-03-05 American movie actor. He acted in many pictures mainly from 1920 to the 40’s. He was nominated for the Oscar 3 times but never won. Best known for his role of Nick Charles in the “Thin man films”. Sydney Pollack : Born: 1934-07-01 - Died: 2008-05-26 Academy Award-winning director and actor.

Charles Bronson : Born: 1921-11-03 - Died: 2003-08-30 American actor, best known for his tough roles in movies like “The Great Escape”, “The Dirty Dozen” and the “Death Wish” series. Johnny Carson : Born: 1925-10-23 - Died: 2005-01-23 Host of the Tonight Show from October 1962 until May 1992. Brandon Lee : Born: 1965-02-01 - Died: 1993-03-31 Movie actor. Bruce Lee son. Steve Irwin : Born: 1962-02-22 - Died: 2006-09-04 He was an Australian naturalist. He hosted, with this wife Terri Irwin, the TV show “The Crocodile Hunter”.

Here is a video of him with a snake on an Australian TV Show: Greta Garbo : Born: 1905-09-18 - Died: 1990-04-15 One of the most important female actresses of Hollywood, she filmed various movies from 1920 to 1941. One of her most famous films is “Anna Karenina”, filmed in 1935. After world war II she retired,living in New York, and became reclusive, refusing to give out interviews,etc. George Burns (Comedian) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News George Burns Male Born Jan 20, 1896 George Burns, born Naftaly Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer. He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became familiar trademarks for over three quarters of a century.

Beginning at the age of 79, Burns' career was resurrected as an amiable, beloved and unusually active old comedian, continuing to work until shortly before his death, in 1996, at the age of 100.… Read More related links Role Models (Only Blacks Need Apply) Bernard Goldberg.Com (Blog) Google News - Aug 28, 2011 'I was very much aware of boxing great Benny Leonard, football legend Sid Luckman, Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg, and any number of show business luminaries, including John Garfield, Jack Benny, <mark>George Burns</mark>, Artie Shaw, and Eddie G. Robinson' Can Tv's Biggest Names Make Sitcoms Cool Again? The Independent Google News - Aug 25, 2011 '&quot;<mark>George Burns</mark> and Gracie Allen played <mark>George Burns</mark> and Gracie Allen in a 1950s show. They broke the fourth wall.

He would go into a room and watch the show that was on that night and comment on it â it was very &#39;meta&#39; before sitcom had even really' Tony Bennett Swings Into An 85th Birthday Celebration Chicago Tribune Google News - Aug 23, 2011 '&quot;I take a tip from the old masters, like <mark>George Burns</mark>,&quot; says Bennett, referencing an entertainer who performed well into his 90s. &quot;They kept working till they cut out. â¦ &quot;I count my blessings. I just say how fortunate I am. I have complete health' Zsa Zsa Gabor Celebrates 25 Years Of Marriage To Von Anhalt Third Age Google News - Aug 16, 2011 'Zsa Zsa Gabor (L) wipes lipstick off the face of comedian <mark>George Burns</mark> as his escort, Cathleen Carr looks on during a pa... Read Morerty for Burns celebrating his start of his 80th year in show business on January 18, 1983.

(UPI Photo/Bob Riha/Files)' Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of George Burns. CHILDHOOD 1896 Birth George Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum on January 20, 1896 in New York City, the ninth of 12 children born to Hadassah "Dorah" (nÃ©e Bluth; 1857â1927) and Eliezer Birnbaum (1855â1903), known as Louis or Lippe, Jewish immigrants who had come to the United States from Kolbaschow, Galicia. … Read More Burns was a member of the First Roumanian-American congregation.<br /><br /> His father was a substitute cantor at the local synagogue but usually worked as a coat presser. During the influenza epidemic of 1903, Lippe Birnbaum contracted the flu and died at the age of 47.

Nattie (as George was then called) went to work to help support the family, shining shoes, running errands and selling newspapers.<br /><br /> When he landed a job as a syrup maker in a local candy shop at age seven, "Nate" as he was known, was "discovered", as he recalled long after: Read Less TWENTIES 1917 21 Years Old Burns was drafted into the United States Army when the US entered World War I in 1917, but failed the physical due to being extremely nearsighted. … Read More In order to try to hide his Jewish heritage, he adopted the stage name by which he would be known for the rest of his life. He claimed in a few interviews that the idea of the name originated from the fact that two star major league players (George H. Burns and George J. Burns, unrelated) were playing major league baseball at the time. Both men achieved over 2000 major league hits and hold some major league records.

Burns also was reported to have taken the name "George" from his brother Izzy (who hated his own name so he changed it to "George"), and the Burns from the Burns Brothers Coal Company (he used to steal coal from their truck). Read Less Show Less He normally partnered with a girl, sometimes in an adagio dance routine, sometimes comic patter. Though he had an apparent flair for comedy, he never quite clicked with any of his partners, until he met a young Irish Catholic lady in 1923. "And all of a sudden," he said famously in later years, "the audience realized I had a talent. … Read More They were right. I did have a talentâand I was married to her for 38 years."<br /><br /> His first wife was Hannah Siegel (stage name: Hermosa Jose), one of his dance partners. The marriage, never consummated, lasted 26 weeks and happened because her family would not let them go on tour unless they were married.

They divorced at the end of the tour.<br /><br /> Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen was an American comedian born into an Irish Catholic show-business family and educated at Star of the Sea Convent School in San Francisco, California, in girlhood. She began in vaudeville around 1909, teamed as an Irish-dance act "The Four Colleens" with her sisters, Bessie, Hazel, and Pearl. Read Less In 1923, while attending secretarial school in Hoboken, New Jersey, she met Burns at a vaudeville theater in the adjacent Union City. … Read More Allen came to call Burns by the nickname Nattie (a diminutive of his real name Nathan), while he called her "Googie". The two immediately launched a new partnership (Burns and Allen), with Gracie playing the role of the "straight man" and George delivering the punchlines as the comedian. Burns knew something was wrong when the audience ignored his jokes but snickered at Gracie's questions. Burns cannily flipped the act around: After a Hoboken, New Jersey performance in which they tested the new style for the first time, Burns' hunch proved right.

Gracie was the better "laugh-getter" with the "illogical logic" that formed her responses to Burns' prompting comments or questions.<br /><br /> Allen's part was known in vaudeville as a "Dumb Dora" act, named after a very early film of the same name that featured a scatterbrained female protagonist, but her "illogical logic" style was several cuts above the Dumb Dora stereotype developed by American cartoonist Chic Young, as was Burns' understated straight man. The twosome worked the new style tirelessly on the road, building a following, as well as a reputation for being a reliable "disappointment act" (one that could fill in for another act on short notice). Burns and Allen were so consistently dependable that vaudeville bookers elevated them to the more secure "standard act" status, and finally to the vaudevillian's dream: the Palace Theatre in New York. Read Less THIRTIES 1926 30 Years Old They were married in Cleveland, Ohio on January 7, 1926, somewhat daring for those times, considering Burns' Jewish and Allen's Irish Catholic upbringing.

… Read More They adopted their daughter, Sandra, in 1934 and son, Ronnie, in 1935. (For her part, Allen also endeared herself to her in-laws by adopting her mother-in-law's favorite phrase, used whenever the older woman needed to bring her son back down to earth: "Nattie, you're such a schmuck," using a diminutive of his given name, Nathan. When Burns' mother died, Allen comforted her grief-stricken husband with the same phrase.) <br /><br /> In later years Burns admitted that he had a very brief affair. Stricken by guilt, he phoned one of his best friends, Jack Benny, and told him about the indiscretion. However, Allen overheard the conversation and Burns quietly bought an expensive centerpiece and diamond ring and nothing more was said.

Years later, he discovered that Allen had told one of her friends, Mary Livingstone (Jack Benny's wife), about the episode, finishing with, "You know, I really wish George would cheat on me again; I could use a new centerpiece." Read Less 1932 36 Years Old In time, though, Burns and Allen found their own show and radio audience, first airing on February 15, 1932 and concentrating on their classic stage routines plus sketch comedy in which the Burns and Allen style was woven into different little scenes, not unlike the short films they made in Hollywood. … Read More They were also good for a clever publicity stunt, none more so than the hunt for Gracie's missing brother, a hunt that included Gracie turning up on other radio shows searching for him as well.<br /><br /> The couple was portrayed at first as younger singles, with Allen the object of both Burns' and other cast members' affections. Most notably, bandleaders Ray Noble (known for his phrase, "Gracie, this is the first time we've ever been alone") and Artie Shaw played "love" interests to Gracie.

In addition, singer Tony Martin played an unwilling love interest of Gracie's, in which Gracie "sexually harassed" him, by threatening to fire him if the romantic interest was not reciprocated. Read Less FORTIES Show Less In time, however, due to slipping ratings and the difficulty of being portrayed as singles in light of the audience's close familiarity with their real-life marriage, the show adapted in the fall of 1941 to present them as the married couple they actually were. … Read More For a time, Burns and Allen had a rather distinguished and popular musical director: Artie Shaw, who also appeared as a character in some of the show's sketches. A somewhat different Gracie also marked this era, as the Gracie character could often be found to be mean to George.<br /><br /> George: Your mother cut my face out of the picture. Gracie: Oh, George, you're being sensitive. George: I am not! Look at my face! What happened to it? Gracie: I don't know. It looks like you fell on it.<br /><br /> Or <br /><br /> Census Taker: What do you make?

Gracie: I make cookies and aprons and knit sweaters. Census Taker: No, I mean what do you earn? Gracie: George's salary. Read Less As this format grew stale over the years, Burns and his fellow writers redeveloped the show as a situation comedy in the fall of 1941. … Read More The reformat focused on the couple's married life and life among various friends, including Elvia Allman as "Tootsie Sagwell," a man-hungry spinster in love with Bill Goodwin, and neighbors, until the characters of Harry and Blanche Morton entered the picture to stay. Like The Jack Benny Program, the new George Burns & Gracie Allen Show portrayed George and Gracie as entertainers with their own weekly radio show. Goodwin remained, his character as "girl-crazy" as ever, and the music was now handled by Meredith Willson (later to be better known for composing the Broadway musical The Music Man). Willson also played himself on the show as a naive, friendly, girl-shy fellow.

The new format's success made it one of the few classic radio comedies to completely re-invent itself and regain major fame.<br /><br /> The supporting cast during this phase included Mel Blanc as the melancholy, ironically named "Happy Postman" (his catchphrase was "Remember, keep smiling!"); Bea Benaderet (later Cousin Pearl in The Beverly Hillbillies, Kate Bradley in Petticoat Junction and the voice of Betty Rubble in The Flintstones) and Hal March (later more famous as the host of The $64,000 Question) as neighbors Blanche and Harry Morton; and the various members of Gracie's ladies' club, the Beverly Hills Uplift Society. One running gag during this period, stretching into the television era, was Burns' questionable singing voice, as Gracie lovingly referred to her husband as "Sugar Throat." Read Less FIFTIES Show Less … The show received and maintained a Top 10 rating for the rest of its radio life.

<br /><br />In the fall of 1949, after twelve years at NBC, the couple took the show back to its original network CBS, where they had risen to fame from 1932 to 1937. Their good friend Jack Benny reached a negotiating impasse with NBC over the corporation he set up ("Amusement Enterprises") to package his show, the better to put more of his earnings on a capital-gains basis and avoid the 80 percent taxes slapped on very high earners in the World War II period. When CBS executive William S. Paley convinced Benny to move to CBS (Paley, among other things, impressed Benny with his attitude that the performers make the network, not the other way around as NBC chief David Sarnoff reputedly believed), Benny in turn convinced several NBC stars to join him, including Burns and Allen. Read Less Thus did CBS reap the benefits when Burns and Allen moved to television in 1950. … Read More On television, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show put faces to the radio characters audiences had come to love.

A number of significant changes were seen in the show: <br /><br /> Burns and Allen also took a cue from Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's Desilu Productions and formed a company of their own, McCadden Corporation (named after the street on which Burns' brother lived), headquartered on the General Service Studio lot in the heart of Hollywood, and set up to film television shows and commercials. Besides their own hit show (which made the transition from a bi-weekly live series to a weekly filmed version in the fall of 1952), the couple's company produced such television series as The Bob Cummings Show (subsequently syndicated and rerun as Love That Bob); The People's Choice, starring Jackie Cooper; Mona McCluskey, starring Juliet Prowse; and Mister Ed, starring Alan Young and a talented "talking" horse. Several of their good friend Jack Benny's 1953â55 filmed episodes were also produced by McCadden for CBS. Read Less The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show ran on CBS Television from 1950 to 1958, when Burns at last consented to Allen's retirement.

… Read More The onset of heart trouble in the early 1950s had left her exhausted from full-time work and she had been anxious to stop but couldn't say no to Burns.<br /><br /> Burns attempted to continue the show (for new sponsor Colgate-Palmolive on NBC), but without Allen to provide the classic Gracie-isms, the show expired after a year.<br /><br /> Burns subsequently created Wendy and Me, a sitcom in which he co-starred with Connie Stevens, Ron Harper, and J. Pat O'Malley. He acted primarily as the narrator, and secondarily as the adviser to Stevens' Gracie-like character. The first episode involved the nearly 70-year-old Burns watching his younger neighbor's activities with amusement, just as he would watch the Burns and Allen television show while it was unfolding to get a jump on what Gracie was up to in its final two seasons. Again as in the Burns and Allen television show, George frequently broke the fourth wall by commenting directly to viewers. The series only lasted a year.

In a promotion, Burns had joked that "Connie Stevens plays Wendy, and I play 'me'." Read Less LATE ADULTHOOD 1964 - 1978 4 More Events 1964 68 Years Old After fighting a long battle with heart disease, Gracie Allen suffered a fatal heart attack in her home on August 27, 1964, at the age of 69. … Read More She was entombed in a mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery. In his second book, They Still Love Me in Altoona, Burns wrote that he found it impossible to sleep after her death until he decided to sleep in the bed she used during her illness. He visited her grave once a month, professing to talk to her about whatever he was doing at the time â including, he said, trying to decide whether he really should accept the Sunshine Boys role which Jack Benny had to abandon because of his own failing health.

He visited the tomb with Ed Bradley during a 60 Minutes interview on November 6, 1988.<br /><br /> Burns and Allen got a start in motion pictures with a series of comic short films in the late 1930s. Their feature credits in the mid- to late-1930s included The Big Broadcast; International House (1933), Six of a Kind (1934), (the latter two films with W.C. Fields), The Big Broadcast of 1936, The Big Broadcast of 1937, A Damsel in Distress (1937) in which they danced step-for-step with Fred Astaire, and College Swing (1938) in which Bob Hope made one of his early film appearances. Honolulu would be Burns's last movie for nearly 40 years.

Read Less 1975 79 Years Old Burns replaced Benny in the film as well as the club tour, a move that turned out to be one of the biggest breaks of his career; his wise performance as faded vaudevillian Al Lewis won him the 1975 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and permanently secured his career resurgence. 1977 81 Years Old In 1977, Burns made another hit film, Oh, God!, playing the omnipotent title role opposite singer John Denver as an earnest but befuddled supermarket manager, whom God picks at random to revive his message. … Read More The image of Burns in a sailor's cap and light springtime jacket as the droll Almighty influenced his subsequent comedic work, as well as that of other comedians. At a celebrity roast in his honor, Dean Martin adapted a Burns crack: "When George was growing up, the Top Ten were the Ten Commandments."<br /><br /> Burns appeared in this character along with Vanessa Williams on the September 1984 cover of Penthouse magazine, the issue which contained the notorious nude photos of Williams, as well as the first appearance of underage pornographic film star Traci Lords.

A blurb on the cover even announced "Oh God, she's nude!" <br /><br /> Oh, God! inspired two sequels Oh, God! Book II (in which the Almighty engages a precocious schoolgirl played by Louanne Sirota to spread the word) and Oh, God! You Devilâin which Burns played a dual role as God and the Devil, with the soul of a would-be songwriter played by Ted Wass at stake. Read Less 1978 82 Years Old After guest starring on The Muppet Show, Burns appeared in 1978's Sgt. … Read More Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the film based on the Beatles' album of the same name. Read Less 1979 83 Years Old In 1979, at the age of 83, Burns starred in two feature films with an all-star cast, including Brooke Shields in Just You and Me, Kid and Art Carney and Lee Strasberg in Going in Style. … Read More Burns remained active in movies and TV past his 90th birthday.

Read Less 1988 92 Years Old One of his last films was 1988's 18 Again!, based on his half-novelty, country music-based hit single, "I Wish I Was 18 Again." … Read More In this film, Burns played an 81-year-old self-made millionaire industrialist who switched bodies with his awkward, artistic, 18-year-old grandson (played by Charlie Schlatter).<br /><br /> Burns also did regular nightclub stand-up acts in his later years, usually portraying himself as a lecherous old man. He always smoked a cigar onstage and reputedly timed his monologues by the amount the cigar had burned down. For this reason, he preferred cheap El Producto cigars as the loosely wrapped tobacco burned longer. Burns once quipped "In my youth, they called me a rebel. When I was middle aged, they called me eccentric.

Now that I'm old, I'm doing the same thing I've always done and they're calling me senile."<br /><br /> Burns's cigar use was nothing short of prodigious; Arthur Marx estimated that he smoked around 300,000 in his life starting at the age of 14. In his final years, he smoked no more than four a day (partially because tougher anti-smoking regulations limited the amount of public places he could do it) and he never used cigarettes or marijuana, claiming "Look, I can't get any more kicks than I'm getting. What can marijuana do for me that show business hasn't done?" Read Less 1989 93 Years Old At the age of 80, Burns was the oldest Oscar winner in the history of the Academy Awards, a record that would remain until Jessica Tandy won an Oscar for Driving Miss Daisy in 1989.

Question: US comedian and actor Nathan Birnbaum, born in 1898, was better known by what name?
Answer: George Burns